La vie parfaite sous la dynastie Song

Chapitre 113

Chun'er sighed as well. How long had it been since the Palace Master had had a proper night's sleep? Was it half a month, or a month? She really couldn't remember. It was all that despicable Qin Luo's fault. Ever since the decisive battle between the two armies at the border of Shangyong and Fangling a month ago, he had been sending a group of petty scoundrels to harass their camp from time to time. The Palace Master had considered retaliating, but Feng Yin's raiding troops were far inferior to their elite forces, and after being annihilated by Qin Luo several times, the Palace Master stopped confronting him directly.

However, despite the Palace Mistress's tireless efforts for the country, just seven days ago, she received a veiled rebuke from the current Emperor and her future husband, who even advised her to return to Zidu. This angered the Palace Mistress so much that she vomited blood on the spot.

Chun'er pursed her lips and looked at the Palace Master's haggard, beautiful face with pity: "Palace Master, it's still early, take a nap a little longer. Sister Qiu and General Mo can handle that kind of sneak attack."

Mu Shuangshuang shook her head and stood up, her steps a little unsteady. She quickly circulated her qi throughout her body to clear her mind: "Now that I'm awake, how can I fall asleep again? I should go and check on things to put my mind at ease."

Chun'er brought the warm water for washing her face to her. Mu Shuangshuang reached out and took the towel herself. Just as she was about to put it down, she suddenly stared blankly at the still water, a faint sadness welling up in her heart.

What a pale and haggard face it was! Her eyes, once bright and clear, were now deeply sunken. Her complexion was ashen, and her lips, dull in color, were cracked with several blood vessels. She was clearly only in her early twenties, the most beautiful age for a woman, yet she seemed to have suddenly withered like a dead branch in just one month.

From a young age, she was competitive and unwilling to admit defeat. To help her father, she was willing to become a goddess attendant. While others had a carefree and playful childhood, she spent it in a cold and lonely temple. To prove that women are no less than men, she was willing to leave her parents and country to undergo the most brutal training in the distant Wuji Mountain. To become the next generation's Star Soul, she was willing to remain unmarried for life with the title of Crown Princess and assist the kind but not domineering Crown Prince Zhuo Qing in achieving his ambition.

So much willingness and sacrifice made her the Palace Master of Luoxia Palace she is today, a woman who is no less capable than any man! She is well aware of Qin Luo's youthful talent and unpredictable nature; otherwise, how could she be worthy of that person's assistance? But she has never been afraid.

The shadow of a death row inmate's suicide did not break her, the entanglement with Yang Qian's 160,000-strong army did not break her, the life-or-death duel with Qin Luo did not break her, and even the relentless sneak attacks that caught her off guard day and night did not break her. However, Marshal Jing Hong, Mu Shuangshuang, was broken by a single imperial edict from Zhuo Qing.

Zhuo Qing had grown up with her since childhood. Although Mu Shuangshuang didn't love him, she respected him like a brother. Zhuo Qing had also sworn to love and trust her forever. However, she would never mistake the familiar handwriting on that precious yellow silk, nor the bright red jade seal.

"...Shuang'er commands 140,000 elite troops and controls the strategically important Fangling Pass. She should expel the invaders as soon as possible and reclaim our land. How can we allow that brat Qin Luo to come and go freely out of consideration for past relationships?...Shuang'er has been away on campaign for over three months, and the court officials are in an uproar, their hearts filled with discontent. This is truly not my intention. Shuang'er should lay down her arms and return as soon as possible to dispel the rumors. I await her return day and night."

Mu Shuangshuang wasn't stupid, so she immediately saw through the deeper meaning hidden behind Zhuo Qing's tactful tone. He was actually blaming her for showing leniency towards Qin Luoyi because of personal feelings, leading to a prolonged and indecisive battle. That was tantamount to accusing her of treason, how could she possibly tolerate that?

Mu Shuangshuang washed her face, then slowly walked to the window, gazing at the magnificent landscape stretching for miles under the morning sun. The pain in her eyes gradually transformed into resolute determination. She absolutely could not return to the capital like this. Otherwise, Feng Yinguo, which had existed for over a hundred years, and her hometown, would become the past, become history. Her people would become subservient, the emperor she served would be subjected to arbitrary insults and trampling, and her father might even die for his country. How could she tolerate such a thing happening?

At 9:00 AM on the fourth day of the seventh month of the 768th year of the Wanli reign, the sun blazed high in the sky, and the weather was unbearably hot. Ten days after their previous encounter, Jin Yao and Feng Yin once again clashed in Qifeng Gorge, located at the border of Fangling and Shangyong.

Dressed in a bright red, form-fitting battle suit, Mu Shuangshuang stood on the Moon-Gazing Slope on the right side of the canyon, gazing at the battlefield below. Mu Shuangshuang rarely wore anything other than green, for reasons she herself couldn't explain. Perhaps it was because of the aloof man who always wore blue, or perhaps it was a strange habit she had developed because her name contained the character "Mu" (木).

Dressed in green, she was elegant and ethereal, like a fairy from the heavens. However, in her red battle suit, she suddenly possessed a unique charm. Her dark red cloak fluttered in the air, and her bright red hairband casually tied up her dark hair, swaying in the air. Her slightly pale face had a pair of bright, resolute, and beautiful eyes, as if nothing could shake her.

His dashing and heroic bearing, his unparalleled elegance, made all the soldiers who looked up to him, whether they belonged to the Golden Glory faction or the Wind Whisper faction, unable to help but admire this outstanding general of his generation.

Opposite to the Moon-Viewing Slope is the Sunrise-Viewing Slope. In Fengyin, Qifeng Gorge, with its two slopes overlooking the moon to the east and the sun to the west, is a famous scenic spot. Now, however, this scenic spot is about to become a battlefield trampled by thousands and filled with the smoke of war.

On the sunrise-viewing slope sat a handsome young man in blue, his elegant features and graceful bearing accentuated by a roughly made parasol. He seemed to be dozing off, then suddenly waking up to ask if it had started. His face was even more refined and gentle than Mu Shuangshuang's, with delicate features, fair skin, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile. Despite his languid posture, reclining in the chair and fanning himself inelegantly, he was strangely beautiful and serene, like a painting, drawing one into a daze, making one forget time and the heat.

Next update: Thursday, January 24th. Please leave your comments, thank you.

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Chapter 6: The Flames of War (Part 2)

Chapter 6: The Flames of War (Part 2)

Mu Shuangshuang held the bright red banner high in the sky. The dozing boy was jolted awake by the man in blue beside him and quickly sat up straight. Just then, the red banner was lowered and a deafening drumbeat rang out.

The first to clash were the infantry, and both sides fought cautiously, with Mu Shuangshuang frequently using flags to change battle formations.

After the probing period, Mu Shuangshuang's eyes suddenly changed, and the force with which she waved the flag became noticeably faster and more powerful. A moment later, Feng Yin's 20,000 infantrymen slowly formed a triangle, with the western side as the tip, and launched a sudden and fierce attack on the enemy's center.

The Jin Yao Army, which had been in perfect formation, was thrown into chaos. The rhythm of the war drums slowed down and was drowned out by the wind. A gap was torn open in the middle, and the soldiers who retreated to both sides were surrounded by the wind soldiers on both sides of the triangular formation. It looked like their formation was about to fall into complete disarray.

The boy, who was dozing off again on the Sunrise Slope due to the blazing sun, was woken up by the anxious general who had just been waving flags and giving instructions. He rubbed his eyes, looked carefully at the battlefield with smoke and dust rising, his beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly, and after a moment, he whispered something to the general.

Mu Shuangshuang gazed at the young man in a blue robe on the sunrise-viewing slope, which was almost as tall as her. As the commander-in-chief, he wore such simple, scholarly clothes on the battlefield; as the commander-in-chief, he even used a parasol to avoid the sun; as the commander-in-chief, he delegated command to others while he himself sat aside enjoying the cool air, and that person even offered him tea from time to time.

It was this incompetent commander, this boy whom she had once somewhat looked down upon, who left her at a loss and caused a constant, inexplicable unease to grow within her.

Why did those soldiers not care at all that their commander was such a weak and lazy boy? Why did the people next to him follow him closely with worried expressions as soon as he stood up? Why... was someone as aloof and indifferent as him willing to do such humble things as a servant for this boy?

She couldn't understand it... Mu Shuangshuang shook her head, unable to comprehend the grand ambitions in his heart, unable to understand what he was planning by delaying like this, and even more unable to understand the apologetic yet meaningful smile he sometimes gave her. Because she couldn't understand it... she suddenly felt afraid. Perhaps... she really would be defeated by this person, perhaps it would be a crushing defeat that she had never expected.

In just a moment of distraction, the situation on the battlefield changed again. Nearly ten thousand cavalrymen charged into the battlefield from both flanks, raising billowing smoke that obscured her view of the battle. When the smoke cleared, Jin Yao's twenty thousand infantrymen had safely formed their assault formation. The Jin Yao light cavalry, clad in uniform black armor with gold trim, lined up in front of her infantry. Their somber uniforms and composed expressions, in Mu Shuang's eyes, which had been somewhat haggard and anxious for the past seven days, instead appeared as a provocation.

A cold smile crept onto Mu Shuangshuang's lips as she thought to herself, "Qin Luo, you underestimate Feng Yin and me, Mu Shuangshuang." The crimson banner was raised and waved in various motions, and in an instant, the originally triangular infantry formation slowly shifted, revealing a rhombus shape under the blazing sun as it moved rapidly.

The flag signals changed again, and suddenly a gap appeared in the middle of the diamond-shaped formation. In the blink of an eye, the well-equipped and spirited Windwhisper cavalry rose from behind and stood firmly in the center of the infantry. The formation was still diamond, but it seemed as if a conspicuous dividing line had suddenly been added in the middle. Viewed from above, it was much sharper than the Golden Radiance formation.

The sleepy-eyed boy in blue suddenly woke up, his sky-blue eyes fixed intently on the enemy army in the canyon: "They can attack together, or they can strike separately; they can attack from the front, or they can support each other from the rear... Ha! How interesting."

As soon as he finished speaking, the young man suddenly stretched and stood up, his movements languid, yet his eyes gleamed with excitement and seriousness. Gazing at the dazzling crimson before him, he turned without turning to the man in blue behind him and said, "An opponent like this, even if we have to resort to trickery, we must first defeat her honorably before we can feel truly satisfied. Yihan, don't you agree?"

Because the boy couldn't see it, the man in blue gazed at his back with an almost greedy look. A hint of dark green flashed in his sorrowful black eyes, and his gentle light seemed to melt him. However, that gentle tenderness and the deep sorrow turned into a cold sneer when he spoke: "Young master, please follow your own wishes. I will protect you."

Mu Shuangshuang's eyes suddenly lit up. She slowly lowered the brocade banner she was about to raise. She stared at the blue-clad youth who was walking slowly to the command field by the war drum, accompanied by the man in green. She thought to herself: He is finally willing to have a real duel with me. But she also thought to herself: This youth, walking in the mountain wind, his body wrapped in a long robe, looks even more slender and weak than me.

Lost in thought, Mu Shuangshuang suddenly felt a gaze upon her. Looking up, she was caught off guard by the boy's eyes—blue as the sea, gentle as a stream, and clear as the sky after rain. Her heart trembled involuntarily. The unease and panic that had just subsided surged back up. Why did she have this feeling that two years ago he was a naive, promising young genius, while now he had shed all his dazzling aura, casually and calmly melting into the natural world, completely unfathomable?

As soon as the young man stepped onto the command post, the war drums, which had been playing with varying tempos, suddenly thundered three times. All the Golden Glory soldiers looked up, knowing that the three drawn-out drumbeats were an order to change commanders. In unison, their eyes fell upon the slender figure of the blue-clad youth, supported by the man in green, standing tall with his robes fluttering.

Mu Shuangshuang was surprised to find that the next moment, all the Jin Yao soldiers' eyes changed. It was a look of fanatical solemnity and confidence, as if... as long as that young man was there, they could not possibly be defeated.

Mu Shuangshuang smiled slightly at the boy in the distance, and he returned her a gentle and appreciative smile. In an instant, a warm current of mutual appreciation filled her heart, and a sense of heroic spirit, like fighting on the battlefield, made Mu Shuangshuang's blood boil.

We met as strangers and became friends; this year on the battlefield, we witnessed their true hearts. To be able to fight such an opponent with all my might, to fight to the death, even if the outcome is death, I would be content.

Xiao Yi

2007.1.24 19:27

Chapter 6: The Flames of War (End)

Next update: Saturday, January 26th.

This update is relatively small, mainly due to chapter allocation; there will be more next time.